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Disney Comes to Ko'Olina

Disney Comes to Ko'Olina

Old Oct 5, 2007, 7:53 am
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Disney Comes to Ko'Olina

Ko Olina community members reacted positively to news that Walt Disney Parks & Resorts plans to build an 800-room oceanfront resort and add about 1,000 jobs to the area.

Disney hopes to begin construction next year on the luxury Hawaiian-themed family resort on 21 acres next to J.W. Marriott's Ihilani resort. Disney has no plans to build a theme park, but the hotel will be the company's first mixed-use family resort outside of its theme-park developments.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ap...10040355/1001/

Ko'Olina is, IMHO, a pretty big failure. It's in the middle of nowhere a good distance from most/all of the places toursits want to go, and now Disney is getting involved in the form of the Disney Vacation Club properties (DVC - timeshares)

While I love Disney, well, I don't love the thought of the Disneyifcation of Hawaii. In other words... why create a Hawaii like atmostphere when you're already IN Hawaii.

Developers have been trying to make a go of the Ko'Olina area for years and it just hasn't been working much. Again, IMHO.

I've enjoyed staying at the Marriott, but I also felt stuck there. For me, it's a good place to get an outer island feel without going to another island. I go to the North Shore for the same reason, but at least there are more services available in closer proximity.

Another issue is bringing tourists to the leeward side of the island. Let's face it, this is one of the few locations on the island without very many tourists. Alot of Hawaiian homelands are there. This is where the people LIVE. I'm of the opinion that this small slice of paradise should be left for them.

Residents... How do you feel about it?
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Old Oct 5, 2007, 2:28 pm
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This is Oahu, I take it? Just keep this stuff off the other islands.

BTW, wait until you get to Kauai - Poipu has construction everywhere!
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Old Oct 5, 2007, 2:35 pm
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Yup, Oahu on the leeward coast. The least populated and touristy area.
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Old Oct 5, 2007, 2:36 pm
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The same airlines that we love on FT are responsible for the dramatic boom in tourism, construction, and population that has continued to increase over the last 20 years: it wasn't happening when the Islands were accessed by steamship!

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Old Oct 7, 2007, 8:38 am
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Awful

I am sorry that Ko Olina isn't that profitable, but I love it there. I like the slow pace and the beauty, it is what I go to Hawaii for.

It will be sad to put a Disney anything there, if tourists wanted that they can go to California!
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Old Oct 7, 2007, 1:06 pm
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They're not putting in a park (heavan forbid) just another one of the Disney Vacation Clubs (timeshare).
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Old Oct 10, 2007, 8:40 pm
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I actually like Ko Olina a lot. The lagoons are easy to snorkel in (I got pretty banged up at Haunama Bay) and have a reasonable number of fishes. The island is fairly accessible with a rental car. I also enjoy going to Kapolei both to eat and shop without paying a premium at the more touristy places.

I am not sure how many visitors the DVC will add but I have concerns about that area becoming too touristy and crowded.
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Old Oct 10, 2007, 9:38 pm
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Originally Posted by AnalogMan
I actually like Ko Olina a lot. The lagoons are easy to snorkel in (I got pretty banged up at Haunama Bay) and have a reasonable number of fishes. The island is fairly accessible with a rental car. I also enjoy going to Kapolei both to eat and shop without paying a premium at the more touristy places.

I am not sure how many visitors the DVC will add but I have concerns about that area becoming too touristy and crowded.
Also love KoOlia, but even with the added private condos and the coming Disney, it will still be more open with more beach area and less crowded than Kaanapali on Maui. About same or even closer to the airport than kaanapali Plus the path around the beautiful lagoons and the view of the mountains in the distance will not be changed.
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Old Oct 13, 2007, 9:39 pm
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Ko'olina is our favorite place for beaching on the weekends our in the Lagoons. Although Disney can never prohibit public access to the lagoons under established Hawaii law and the public trust doctrine, I for one would be concerned with increased traffic and congestion in the area. Ko'olina is a great place for everything that Waikiki is not. It managed to remain a standalone resort for a good decade. Sad that it couldn't continue to hold out.
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Old Oct 14, 2007, 10:12 am
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You can be pretty much assured that while Disney can't stop people from going on "their" beach, they certainly ain't gonna make it easy. Think Kahala & Lanikai

Anyway, I don't have a problem with what's already there - the Marriott is very nice and I've stayed their a few times to decompress before moving on to someplace a little better located with a few more services a little closer.

That said, as residents, I honestly believe that you should have at least some part of the island that isn't overrun with tourists.

Was the plan always to make this another small city and this is just another attempt to make it so?

Keep in mind that on the disney boards I've read the people who own DVC units are salivating at the thought of a cheap Hawaii vacation. I suspect they will be in for a BIGGGG surprise when they find there's nowhere closeby to get an inexpensive meal.
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Old Oct 14, 2007, 11:27 am
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That said, as residents, I honestly believe that you should have at least some part of the island that isn't overrun with tourists.

Was the plan always to make this another small city and this is just another attempt to make it so?

Keep in mind that on the disney boards I've read the people who own DVC units are salivating at the thought of a cheap Hawaii vacation. I suspect they will be in for a BIGGGG surprise when they find there's nowhere closeby to get an inexpensive meal.
Actually, Kopolei is in Oahu plan as a 2nd city on Oahu. kapolei has a wide variety of restuarants and is at the most 15 min by car from KoOlina going towards the airport. Airport is at most 45 min from KoOlina and is for example a quicker trip from Ogg to Kaanapali on maui. Most likely new influx of people will be going towards kapaolei to shop and eat not the other way towards the residential area where many (native) hawaiians live. We are very happy to visit beautiful KoOlina and the existing hotels leave plenty of green lawn, large beaches on the lagoons. another 800 rooms will of course add more people but the area is very large and will be far less crowded than Honolulu on ahu and kaanapali on maui.

Last edited by cblaisd; Oct 14, 2007 at 11:47 am Reason: Fixed quote-code
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Old Oct 14, 2007, 1:50 pm
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Originally Posted by jerseygirl
Actually, Kopolei is in Oahu plan as a 2nd city on Oahu. kapolei has a wide variety of restuarants and is at the most 15 min by car from KoOlina going towards the airport. Airport is at most 45 min from KoOlina and is for example a quicker trip from Ogg to Kaanapali on maui. Most likely new influx of people will be going towards kapaolei to shop and eat not the other way towards the residential area where many (native) hawaiians live. We are very happy to visit beautiful KoOlina and the existing hotels leave plenty of green lawn, large beaches on the lagoons. another 800 rooms will of course add more people but the area is very large and will be far less crowded than Honolulu on ahu and kaanapali on maui.
I think you're missing the point here, IMHO. An additional 800 rooms will add more people, as you've pointed out. But, "far less crowded" doesn't mean that the area is still being overdeveloped. Kapolei, you mention, is in fact the second city. But since its inception as such, there have been several housing developments. What once used to be sugar cane field is now a bustling residential suburb. This would mean that you would be, in fact, heading into an area where many locals live by visiting Kapolei from Ko'olina.

My point is that we're just losing Ko'olina. It is a great place as it stands now. The second time share development by Marriott and now the DVC stuff will make it just another Ka'anapali.

As for beach access. I'm sure there'll be some condition imposed by the City and County to make a clear path to the beach. Such a condition had already been imposed on the development of the Ihilani, as there are two public parking lots and beach accesses that lead to the first lagoon.
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Old Oct 16, 2007, 12:30 am
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Mixed Feelings

I have mixed feelings about it. Ko Olina is were my family also spends our weekends for fun and sun and couldn't imagine adding another 800 rooms there. I think Disney has a tough road ahead considering the amount of timeshares and hotels that provide already supersior service.


On the other hand I welcome Disney due to the amount of jobs that they will bring.

Rex
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Old Oct 16, 2007, 9:45 am
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I wonder if this Disney resort is taking the place of the Ritz Carlton that was supposed to go up in KO'olina? Does anyone know if the Ritz is still in the works?
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Old Oct 16, 2007, 11:16 am
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Originally Posted by svenskaflicka
I wonder if this Disney resort is taking the place of the Ritz Carlton that was supposed to go up in KO'olina? Does anyone know if the Ritz is still in the works?

Was the Ritz suppose to go in between Lagoon 1 and 2? We drove out there the other day and saw the land it was suppose to be built on and it's located inbetween the timeshare/condos and the Ihilani.

Rex
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